Pipeline Crossing via Horizontal Directional Drilling - Drill pipes stuck 10 ft underground 1

[waheedbishi]

Hi all,

I've been following this forum for years now, and its been quite helpful. I'd appreciate your views / recommendations for the challenge I'm currently facing.

I recently took a Project Engineer job overseeing a Pipeline construction project where we hit a snag. The pipeline project involves the crossing of a pipeline across a river along a distance of about 2km with a maximum depth of 40meters.

Using Horizontal Directional Drilling, we have successfully completed the following:
- Pilot hole drilling for installation of casing
- 16" casing installation
- Pilot hole drilling
- Reaming and cleaning passes for 24", 34",44" and 54" drill pipes.

During the Reaming stage of the 54"pipe, a high torque was experienced and this resulted to tripping out of all drill pipes. After which a 12" bull nose was introduced into the hole for hole cleaning. During this hole cleaning stage, about 63 drill pipes had been tripped in when we experienced a pipe break on the fourth coupling. We were able to trip out 3 drill pipes before the break occurred.

As a result, we have about 60 drill pipes (in a string) trapped underneath the ground.

A team of geophysicists have been engaged to locate the drill pipes which was detected to be about 10m below grade.

Several attempts have been made to fabricate a fishing tool in other to grab on to the drill pipe under the ground without success.

I seek your ideas, professional opinion / guidance / recommendations / ideas on how to successfully retrieve the 60 drill pipes.

Do let me know if you need further information / clarification, I'd be glad to provide.

Thank you.

 

[LittleInch]

Oh man you're in a bad place there.

Only off the wall thing is whether you can drop a shaft down 10m to where the reamer is and loosen it up / cut it off but then you'll loose all the fluid.

what sort of ground are you drilling through.?

Can you share the profile at the point where it is stuck?

2Km with a 54" hole is going some....

And start making plans now to drill a second hole.



Remember - More details = better answers
Also: If you get a response it's polite to respond to it.

 

[1503-44]

Ambitious target.
Given one presumed failure already, you might like to include a plan for two x 36" crossings, or similar arrangement.

 

[LittleInch]

Are these pipes stuck 10 metres or 10 feet below ground??

Makes a huge difference.

10ft just dig them out.

10m Might be too big a hole and it would fill with drilling mud and collapse the hole.

Remember - More details = better answers
Also: If you get a response it's polite to respond to it.

 

[1503-44]

Then use vertical casing.
Worth a shot to save that much pipe.

 

[midstreamab]

I'm curious as to how you installed 16" casing, but are reaming up to 54"? The reamers will have to go through the casing/conductor pipe.

How long have you tried the fishing operations? Sometimes it takes days of trying and tripping in and out of the hole before you grab on what you need to.